Avant Guard
While some kineticists burn their bodies, others have the power to focus inwards, setting their souls ablaze. By using psionic techniques to impose limits and restraints on their powers, some kineticists can shield themselves from the greatest dangers of their craft. Avant guards are such kineticists, using their souls and minds as a receptacle for their power. By temporarily burning off parts of his inner self, an avant guard can mold his abilities like a sculptor molds clay. He forms some of his power as a shield against his own energy, and the rest into a weapon like no other. Class Skills An avant guard gains Autohypnosis and Knowledge (psionics) as class skills. Metacreative Focus (Su) Unlike a normal kineticist, an avant guard has an affinity with metacreativity, and gains magnum opus ''as a bonus wild talent instead of his normal level 1 utility talent. He still chooses a primary element as normal, but does not gain its simple blast or basic utility talent at 1st level, nor does he gain its defense talent at 2nd level (but see Elemental Defense, below). In addition, he gains Wild Talent as a bonus feat. This ability alters elemental focus, but does not cause the avant guard archetype to be incompatible with other archetypes that alter the elemental focus class feature. So long as he still has a simple blast, basic utility talent, and defense talent to give up, he may take this archetype (provided his class features are compatible with its other abilities). '''Sculptor of the Soul (Ex)' Rather than accepting burn like a normal kineticist, an avant guard has learned to control and contain his roiling elemental power through the art of metacreative psionics. By taking one hour to meditate, focusing inwards and “sculpting” his power into shape, he can accept up to a number of points of burn based on his class level (see Table: Avant Guard Burn). For each point of burn he accepts, the avant guard takes 1 point of nonlethal damage per character level. This damage can't be healed by any means other than getting a full night's rest, which removes all burn and associated nonlethal damage. If the avant guard is immune to nonlethal damage, he instead temporarily reduces his maximum hit points by an equal amount (this reduction vanishes after a full night’s rest, as with the nonlethal damage normally taken). An avant guard who has accepted burn never benefits from abilities that allow him to ignore or alter the effects he receives from nonlethal damage. The amount of burn the avant guard accepts determines the strength of his magnum opus (see below). For every 3 points of burn the avant guard accepts during his meditation, he reduces the burn cost of his wild talents and other abilities by 1 (to a minimum of 0) for as long as he retains the burn. This reduction only applies once when he uses a wild talent; if a wild talent allows an additional effect by accepting more burn, the avant guard considers that burn to be part of its cost for this reduction. This ability can even pay the cost of a wild talent that normally cannot be reduced. For example, if a 17th-level avant guard used disintegrating infusion, he could destroy one or more force effects or 10-foot cubes with it, depending on how much the infusion itself cost and how much burn reduction was “left over” for the additional burn. An avant guard can only have one instance of a given wild talent active at a time. If he uses a wild talent while he already has that wild talent in effect, the older instance ends. For example, if an avant guard used the aether puppet ''wild talent, he could only animate a single object with it; if he used ''aether puppet ''again on a different object, the first one would stop being animate. An avant guard cannot willingly gain burn except with this ability. Abilities that heal hit point damage, either to the avant guard or another creature (such as the ''kinetic healing ''and ''void healing ''wild talents), cannot have their burn costs reduced by this ability. If the avant guard gains access to a defense talent that allows him to take burn for a greater effect, he gains the benefits of that talent as if he had accepted burn equal to the amount of burn reduction he currently has from this ability. He does not have the ability to further accept burn to fuel a defense talent. In addition, the avant guard can use his Constitution in place of his Intelligence on Craft (sculpture) checks. This ability alters burn. '''Kinetic Blast' At 1st level, an avant guard gains stand together ''as a bonus wild talent, rather than a normal kineticist of his element’s simple blast. His kinetic blast otherwise functions as a normal kineticist’s. '''Elemental Defense (Su)' At 2nd level, an avant guard gains get back ''as a bonus wild talent, rather than a normal kineticist of his element’s defense wild talent. '''Elemental Overflow (Su)' Unlike a normal kineticist, an avant guard does not display physical changes when he accepts burn. Instead, his magnum opus becomes more impressive in various ways, decided by the avant guard. Some possibilities might be that its apparent craftsmanship improves, that it becomes surrounded with a small aura of roiling air, or even that it glows dimly when it appears. In addition, the avant guard’s magnum opus gains a bonus on attack rolls equal to the avant guard's elemental overflow bonus, and a bonus on damage rolls equal to double that bonus. These bonuses are only added once, even when using the stand together ''simple blast (so an avant guard will always gain them when he uses that ability, but will not gain them multiple times on the same attack). Finally, the magnum opus' attacks now count as magic for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction and affecting incorporeal creatures. This ability alters elemental overflow, which otherwise functions as normal. '''Impeccable Craftsmanship (Su)' At 6th level, when an avant guard creates a copy of his magnum opus, he can give it one further additional special ability from any menu that it currently has an ability from. This stacks with the Boost Construct feat, and the ability chosen can be changed each time he makes a new copy. At 11th level, the avant guard’s magnum opus improves, becoming partially formed of elemental power. When he designs it during his meditation, he can choose one of the following abilities to grant it from the elements he has as elemental focuses. * Aether: The magnum opus’ structure strengthens, allowing its hide to turn away even mystical blows. It adds its natural armor bonus to its touch AC. * Air: The magnum opus is held aloft by elemental winds. It can fly at a speed equal to its land speed, with average maneuverability. * Earth: The magnum opus can meld into stone as easily as a fish swims through water. It gains the earth elemental's earth glide ability. Its burrow speed is equal to its base land speed. * Fire: The magnum opus is a terror of superheated ectoplasm. It becomes immune to fire and the heat haze grants it concealment (20% miss chance). * Water: ''The magnum opus is partially constructed of ice and snow. It becomes immune to cold and surrounds itself with a slurry of slush and ice. Squares adjacent to the magnum opus are treated as if under the effect of a ''grease ''spell (which may cause creatures to slip and fall if it is created next to them). The save DC for this effect is equal to 10 + 1/2 the avant guard’s class level + the avant guard’s Constitution modifier. * ''Void: The magnum opus becomes a nexus of gravitational forces. It gains the grab ability with its slam attacks. If it already has the grab ability from a menu choice, then it can grab creatures of up to its size. * Wood: The magnum opus is a fusion of ectoplasm and living wood. Its damage reduction/magic (if any) is improved to damage reduction/slashing and magic. Starting at 16th level, an avant guard can have an additional magnum opus created at any given time. This second magnum opus is identical to the first in abilities, and both copies of his magnum opus come from the same pool of constructions. However, each has a separate hit point total, and the avant guard can choose which to create when he uses his stand together ''simple blast (including one that is already created; this dismisses and recreates it as normal). This ability replaces internal buffer. '''Union of Forms (Su)' At the pinnacle of an avant guard’s craft lies an inversion of his powers—at 20th level, an avant guard gains the ability to shunt himself into a state of unreality as he calls his magnum opus from his soul. Once per day, as an immediate action, the avant guard can vanish completely and create a copy of his magnum opus in his space. In effect, he inhabits the connection between him and his magnum opus. For the purposes of his own abilities, the avant guard is treated as being within the space of the magnum opus created with this ability, and can perceive his surroundings through its senses. While in this state, he can use his gather power, kinetic blast, and wild talents class features normally, but otherwise is restricted to mental actions. He cannot be targeted or otherwise affected by other creatures while in this state. This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to the avant guard’s Constitution modifier or until the magnum opus created with this ability is destroyed, at which point the avant guard reappears in an unoccupied space adjacent to one of his magnum opuses (or the nearest unoccupied space, if no such space exists). This ability replaces omnikinesis. Avant Guard Wild Talents The following wild talents are granted by the avant guard archetype and are unique to such kineticists; characters without the avant guard archetype cannot gain them. GET BACK Element 'none; '''Type '''utility (Su); '''Level '—; '''Burn '''0 A shimmer of ectoplasm and a flurry of fists fills the air, as your magnum opus briefly manifests to provide an unyielding shield against your foes. This ability functions regardless of whether or not you have a copy of your magnum opus created, or whether or not it is nearby. Each time you would take damage from an attack or effect, there is a 5% chance that your magnum opus intervenes and takes the damage instead. If you currently have a copy of your magnum opus created, then it takes the damage (applying its own damage reduction, resistances, or immunities to the damage, as appropriate). If the attack or effect would deal additional effects on a successful hit (such as poison, knocking prone, or the like), then those effects are applied to your magnum opus as well. If you do not currently have a copy created, then the damage is dealt to the current hit point total of your magnum opus (see the ''magnum opus ''wild talent) and any additional effects are ignored. If this damage destroys your magnum opus, any additional damage is lost, and does not carry over to the next copy you create. When you gain the ability to create two copies of your magnum opus at 16th level, you can choose which takes the damage redirected by ability. The chance of your magnum opus successfully intervening increases by 5% for each point of burn you accepted when you meditated with your sculptor of the soul class feature. If you do have not accepted burn and designed a magnum opus for the day, then this wild talent has no effect. You can dismiss or restore this effect as an immediate action. '''MAGNUM OPUS Element '''none; '''Type '''utility (Ps); '''Level '''1; '''Burn '''0 (see text) When you meditate with your sculptor of the soul class feature, you design a powerful mental creation—an astral construct of a level equal to the amount of burn you accepted during your meditation. You make all relevant choices about your magnum opus (such as menu choices) while you meditate, after which they cannot be changed until you meditate to accept burn again. You can create a copy of your magnum opus as a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity, forming it in an unoccupied space adjacent to you. Alternatively, you can create one using your ''stand together ''simple blast (see the next page). Unless otherwise noted, you can only have one copy of your magnum opus at a time; if an ability would create a copy of your magnum opus while you already have one, the older one is dismissed, dissipating into nothingness as the new version comes into being. You can only create your magnum opus while you retain the burn you accepted. Your ability to create a magnum opus is limited; you can construct a number of copies at full hit points per day equal to the number of burn accepted during your meditation + your Constitution modifier (minimum 1). Whenever you create your magnum opus, you can choose to have it arrive as a new copy, with full hit points. Otherwise, it retains the hit point total it had the last time you dismissed it (which can be done as a free action). A copy of your magnum opus remains created until you create a new one, dismiss it, or it is destroyed. If a copy of your magnum opus is destroyed or dispelled, you must create the next one with full hit points. Even though the astral constructs you create are merely copies of the true form of your magnum opus, the copies you summon only gain one set of actions in a given round. For example, if your magnum opus has already used all of its actions for its turn and you used your stand together blast to create a new copy, you would deal damage as normal, but the newly-created copy would not gain another set of actions. Your magnum opus always acts on your initiative count. You can apply abilities such as the Boost Construct feat to your magnum opus. When you do, you add any additional menu choices when you create a copy of your magnum opus, rather than when you meditate (this means that your additional menu choices can be changed each time you use your ''stand together ''simple blast). You are treated as being able to manifest the astral construct power with a manifester level equal to your class level for the purposes of meeting prerequisites or requirements. '''STAND TOGETHER 'Element '''none; '''Type '''simple blast (Sp); '''Level '—; '''Burn '''0 '''Blast Type '''see text; '''Damage '''see text You guide your creation’s movements, delivering a swift and deadly blow via a solid, ectoplasmic fit. This blast is neither energy nor physical. It is not affected by spell resistance, and has one of the following two effects (Assault or Battery), rather than being resolved as a normal blast. You cannot use form infusions with this blast that would cause it to affect an area or target more than one creature. It is considered to be associated with every substance infusion. If you use a substance infusion with this blast, its effects are applied to all damage dealt by the ability, including that of your magnum opus' single attack if you use the Battery option. Damage dealt with this blast counts as magic for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction and affecting incorporeal creatures, even if the avant guard uses the Battery option. '''Assault: '''The blast requires a ranged touch attack to hit a target, dealing damage and applying effects as if your magnum opus had hit the target with one of its natural weapons of your choice, plus any additional damage you would normally deal with your attack (such as from the elemental overflow class feature, but not from the kinetic blast’s normal base damage). Then, you create a copy of your magnum opus in an unoccupied space adjacent to the target. If no such space exists, then the magnum opus appears in the nearest unoccupied space within the range of your kinetic blast. Provided it has not already acted in this round, your magnum opus can take its actions immediately, although it is treated as though it had just attacked with the natural weapon you chose (it has more attacks, it can continue into a full-attack action, or continue its turn as if it had taken the attack action). You can use this effect even if all the copies of your magnum opus for the day are destroyed; if you do, the blast deals damage, but does not create a new magnum opus. If you currently have a magnum opus created, you can choose to teleport it across the battlefield, instead of creating a new version. '''Battery: '''If you currently have a magnum opus created and the target is within its melee reach, then instead of a normal blast, you may have your magnum opus immediately make a melee attack against them as a free action, with a bonus on the attack roll equal to your current burn total. If you used a substance infusion with this blast, its effect is applied to the magnum opus’ attack, rather than the blast. You do not make an attack roll to use this blast; only your magnum opus does. Category:Source: Psionics Augmented: Occult Category:Kineticist archetypes